5 Seniors the Pacers shouldn’t draft under any circumstances
Monte Morris
I come from the Chicago Bulls blogging world, where the key to understanding every draft pick, front office hire or coaching staff decision boils down to understanding how he or she connects to Ames, Iowa. (I considered linking to an article that explains this further, but genuinely couldn’t choose between the many.)
The Pacers are better than that. So is just about everyone.
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Monte Morris is projected to go higher in the draft than any of the prospects mentioned here, although being projected to be drafted at all would almost win him that title. Draftexpress has him going at No. 52 to the Washington Wizards, whose bench could maybe be outplayed by the five prospects in this slideshow.
Morris established himself as one of the best Iowa State Cyclones in history during his four years there, and he served as a steady offensive hand for a vast majority of that time. He’s a gifted passer and will have no trouble running a pick-and-roll at the next level. His feel for the game and basketball IQ are both more than satisfactory.
It’s doubtful, however, that Morris will be able to create shots for himself against more intense defenses, and his shooting stroke is streaky at best. Defense will never be his strong suit, and that’s already assuming that he’ll only ever be guarding other point guards.
Morris will almost certainly be on on NBA roster at the beginning of next season, but I would be shocked if he lasts more than a couple of years. The Pacers would be wise to direct their resources elsewhere.
Next: Mock Draft: Who will the Pacers take at No. 18?
We won’t know for sure what the Pacers will do with their second-round pick until the night of the draft. Let’s all hope that it doesn’t involve an “NBA-ready” college senior with depressingly limited potential.